Check Out The First Look At Melissa McCarthy On The New Gilmore Girls

The Gilmore Girls revival has been coming together at Netflix for what feels like forever. Luckily, the series is already filming at this point, which means we occasionally get some awesome looks at the set. This week, costume designer Brenda Maben shared some behind-the-scenes photos, including one that features our first look at the return of Sookie, played by Melissa McCarthy. Check it out!

I forgot how adorable Sookie St. James was during the original run of Gilmore Girls. But here she is, back and wearing her signature bandana. The Instagram photo is a good one on multiple levels. Not only does it give us our first glimpse at Sookie nearly a decade after the original run of the show, it also gives us visual confirmation the Melissa McCarthy was able to work her schedule out and come back for a stint on the Netflix series. Go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief that no conflict came up.

There was a bit of controversy related to Gilmore Girls earlier this year when we learned Melissa McCarthy would not be finding time to appear on the show. Reports were conflicting regarding why she wasn’t going to make it back, with McCarthy saying one thing and show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino saying another. Whatever the reasons, there was a fan outcry related to Melissa McCarthy’s absence on the show and that outcry led to the actress and the showrunner getting on the same page a short time ago.

Still, McCarthy’s busy schedule was cited as one of the reasons it would be difficult to film an appearance for the character. Thus, even after Melissa McCarthy committed, there was always a nagging feeling that something might come up and she might not make it. Which is why this picture is so truly spectacular.

It’s not just Sookie who is confirmed for the return of Gilmore Girls. The image above also features a look at Michel, who happily will be returning for the new series. In fact, nearly every original character is back on board for at least a scene or two, including but not limited to Rory’s extended family, Rory’s friends, Rory’s boyfriends and most of the residents of Stars Hollow. A few other cast members will not be back, such as Edward Herrmann, who passed away a while ago, and Scott Cohen, who played one of Lorelei's former beaus--presumably it would be weird to shoehorn the latter in, while the former's death will be incorporated into the story.

Still, it'll be nice to catch up with some of TV's most incredible characters. Unfortunately, it may still be a while before Gilmore Girls returns, as Netflix has yet to announce a premiere date. You can find out when some of the streaming service's other originals are returning with the Netflix premiere schedule.